Antler restriction research, Texas style

[Foodplot]

Been checking in on you guys from time to time with not much to discuss. I know for many in Michigan that antler restrictions are not always met with open arms. In previous post I had outlined my hunting areas history and the new blue counties will include us this year. I read their reasoning and disagree with their 2 buck proposal. They allude to the so called research on spike bucks and the Kerr management area. I have read two other pieces of " hard" solid research that flys in the face of how they see things on the Kerr WMA. I don't support the spike tag. Thought you guys might enjoy reading about your southern neighbors/deer policies. I do support a change in regulations to get the pressure off of the yearling population. Hopefully the link will work.

Potential Antler Restriction Regulation (http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/game_management/deer/antler_restrictions/) Game Management - White-tailed Deer: Main Page * Deer Hunting Regulations * Management * Miscellaneous * Wildlife Management in TPWD Wildlife Districts Wildlife Management Permits * MLDP: * Managed Lands Deer Permits * ADCP: * Antlerless Deer and Spike Control Permits * LAMPS: * Landowner Assisted ...
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/game_management/deer/antler_restrictions/ (http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/game_management/deer/antler_restrictions/) 01/27/06, 35035 byte

[NorthJeff]

That might work O.K. in southern lower MI..interesting.

In the U.P. of MI, which is basically the top 1/3 of the state, 50% of our yearling bucks are spikes, and only 18% have 3pts on a side or better. Even if you cut the difference for 3pts, or branched antlered deer legal to shoot, that TX law, in the U.P. of MI would still allow for approximately two thirds of our yearling bucks to be shot..following an average winter....wouldn't be appropriate for us, but sounds O.K. for down there, maybe even southern lower MI.

I agree, allowing the spikes to be shot is pretty old-school thinking. It might have been there in all that writing, but what is the percentage of spikes within the yearling age class?..must not be very high.

[Whit1]

The pages(s) would not open.

[A-plus]

NorthJeff - As I understood it, the proposed restrictions were for spikes (those with at least one unbranched antler) and bucks with a 13" inside spread to be legal. I doubt that there are many yearling bucks with a 13" inside spread, so only the 50% of your yearling population with spikes would be legal. How did you come up with 2/3 or your yearling population being available for harvest? What did I miss?

[NorthJeff]

A-plus...you are right! My bad! I was thinking total number of points, or spread, but yep, very few, if any yearlings would be 13" up here. So, only 50% would most likely be available for harvest...up to 70% following severe winters due to less antler growth.

[A-plus]

But I don't know about it's applicability to the northern lower or UP, would need more information. I do know that the Mio area has traditionally had a herd with a high percentage of spikes. The biologists I have talked with say it is a combination of poor nutrition due to the sandy soils, harsh winters and genetics. It may be an interesting experiment to see if such restrictions could change the genetics and overcome the other factors in such an area to improve the quality of bucks. It would also be an interesting question to see if taking advantage of the current low herd numbers, due to the TB regulations, could be an opportune time to try improving buck quality on state lands and draw more hunters to an area in hopes of shooting better bucks. I doubt the DNR is going to change the TB regs in the near future and low deer numbers are having a serious impact on several local economies, so wonder if this could be a way to help the situation.

[NorthJeff]

I think it would work well in our best habitat areas in the state, but in areas like the northern lower and U.P. there are way too many spikes to know which ones are inferior. I would argue that just about any area of free-ranging whitetail herds the genetics are all about the same, maybe even better in extreme northern areas due to the weakest and smallest being weeded out throughout the past.

Food, in quality and amount, winter mortality, quality habitat, etc. plays a huge part in improving the herd. In the U.P., depending on the winter, you could have as many as 70% of the yearlings with spikes...which ones are inferior? Would be a shame for hunters to think that shooting them, and aggresively targeting them would be the answer.